Hands Off
by rckyfrk
Summary: A Bethyl AU One-Shot turned Two-Shot. Daryl's got a pretty big secret. What happens when Beth finds out? Summaries suck...hopefully the story is better.
1. Hands Off

**Hands Off – AU One Shot**

**I dedicate this to Hearts 1989. I am NOT continuing this story...don't even ask. **

"I am just the luckiest girl, you know that?" Beth asked, smiling up at Daryl as she wrapped her arms around his waist. They were cuddled up on her couch, enjoying a quiet afternoon alone.

"You win the lottery or something?" Daryl teased as he leaned back to look down at her.

Beth playfully hit his chest with her hand, her smile never leaving her face. "No, you goof. Because I have you."

Daryl draped his arm across her shoulders and pulled her closer. "Is that so?"

Beth nodded and hummed, "Mm-hmm." She began to list off the traits she liked most about him, dragging her fingertips up and down his chest as she did so. "You're strong, you're sweet, romantic when you want to be, a bad ass when you need to be..."

"Keep goin'. Ya ain't done yet," Daryl smirked at her.

"You make me laugh, you're a hard worker, you're...really quite handsome. I'd say you're even downright sexy." She giggled at the last part, a slight blush crossing her face.

"Yeah? Well, you're pretty sexy yourself," he murmured as he bent his head to kiss the sensitive skin on the side of her neck.

"My family loves you, my friends love you...I love you..." her voice came out as a whisper. She suddenly turned shy – they had never said the 'L' word before – she wasn't sure how he was going to take it. They had only been together for about a month. Heck, they'd never even gone past the kissing stage; she wanted to take things slowly, and he was willing to oblige. Still, she felt it deep in her heart; she was definitely falling in love with this man.

He sat still for a moment, letting her words sink in. Were they at this stage already? Daryl hadn't been in many relationships before, but all of this, what he had with her, just felt right. He found himself wanting to share everything with her...to tell her that he loved her back...but he couldn't tell her his biggest secret. You weren't supposed to hide things from the person you loved, right? She'd never look at him the same way, probably wouldn't want to be with him anymore. He was certainly ashamed of it, but couldn't escape it either. No...he'd keep both these secrets from her. He bent his head and kissed her soft lips, hoping that would be enough of an answer for her.

When she eventually pulled away from his kiss, she breathed against his lips, "And you're such a good kisser."

Daryl smirked against her, "Hey, it takes two to tango, darlin'."

Beth's eyes lit up, "That reminds me. There's a new club opening up downtown. Club Zombie or something. We oughta go there, go dancing sometime."

"Naw," Daryl frowned. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Oh come on," Beth prodded, "It could be a lot of fun. Something different for us to do."

Daryl tried changing topics, "Oh, you want something different? I can show you something different." He started licking and sucking at the tender flesh just below her ear, drawing goose bumps all along her skin.

Beth pushed him away playfully, "Nice try, mister. Come on, why don't you want to go?"

"I just don't want to go dancing, alright? Jeez, just drop it!" Daryl barked at her, pulling his arm away from her.

Beth gave him a moment to calm down before she gently pressed closer to his side, "Alright. Okay, we won't go. Maggie and Sasha have been bugging me for a girls' night out, anyway. I'll go check it out with them."

Daryl nodded, still not returning her embrace. He hated when she pushed him like this. He pushed himself off the couch, "I gotta get going. Gotta bounce for Merle tonight."

Beth's face fell, realizing she'd pushed him too far. "Oh. Alright," she said, her voice heavy with disappointment. "Will I see you tomorrow?" she looked up hopefully.

Daryl turned to face her, hating the sad look in her eyes. He hated denying her anything, hated making her feel anything but happiness. She deserved so much better than him. For whatever reason, one that he couldn't begin to fathom, she decided he was worthy, and that was something. He held out a hand to help her off the couch and pulled her in for a hug. He pressed a kiss into her hair and mumbled, "Yeah…gotta work again tomorrow night, but I'll call you."

Beth smiled against his chest. "Okay." She felt Daryl start to pull away, but she held fast to him. "Daryl?"

"Yeah?"

"Hands to yourself tonight," she teased him and kissed him quickly on the lips.

"Shut up," he said with a smirk. He kissed her again and slid out of her arms and walked to the door.

Once Daryl had left, Beth called up Maggie and Sasha to see about setting a date for girls' night. It turned out the night that worked best for all of them was the very next night unless they wanted to put their plans off for another month or so. Beth figured since Daryl had to work anyway, she might as well make the most of her night, and made plans with her friends.

It turned out, Club Zombie was a bust. The cover charge to get in was wildly exorbitant, the drinks were watered down and over-priced, and the DJ was mediocre at best. Beth could feel the thudding bass pounding through her, and could feel a headache coming on. She signaled to her friends, asking if they wanted to stay; the music was so loud, actually speaking to each other was essentially impossible. Together they made their way to the exit and headed to Maggie's car.

"It is way too early to go home now," Sasha complained, pointing to the clock reading 9:35. "Where else can we go?"

All three girls threw out ideas, most of which were shot down due to cover charges or snotty bartenders. Sasha suggested, "What about AMC?"

Beth laughed in disbelief, "Atlanta Men's Club? Uh…I don't think they'd let us in."

"No, I swear I saw a sign outside that said ladies' night was Thursday," Sasha explained. "Come on, let's go! Maybe they'll have good drink specials or something."

Beth and Maggie couldn't find any reason not to. Besides, if Daryl was working, maybe he could hook them up with a free drink or two.

When they arrived, Beth was confused to find that Daryl was not working out front as bouncer. She frowned, a little disappointed. Maybe he was taking care of something inside. Maggie and Sasha whooped in excitement when they learned ladies' night meant no cover charge, so they went in and found a table. Beth volunteered to run to the bar to get their drinks, hoping to discover where her boyfriend was.

Merle was tending bar. Beth waved him over. "What are you doin' here, sweet thing?" Merle drawled at her.

Beth smiled genuinely at the older Dixon. He might be rough around the edges, and regularly bartended and bounced at one of the more notorious night clubs in Atlanta, but he had always been kind to her since she had started dating his younger brother. "Ladies' night. Me and my friends are having a girls' night out. I thought Daryl was working tonight, have you seen him?"

Merle smirked back at her, "Oh, I've seen him around here somewhere. I'm sure he'll turn up. What can I get you ladies to drink? On the house."

"Really? Thank you, Merle!" she flashed her best smile at the older man. She placed her order and sat at the bar to wait as Merle mixed their drinks.

Over the loud speaker, a man announced, "Alright ladies, look who just pulled up…it's Harley Mac Man-ass taking the stage. Anyone want a ride?" The opening chords to Line of Blood by Ty Stone began to play. The stage was across the room from the bar, so Beth couldn't get a good look at what was going on, but judging by the crowd's reaction, it was something to see.

Merle placed three glasses, all filled with colorful, fruity liquid, on the counter. "Have fun, sugar. Remember, hands off."

Beth gave him an odd look before thanking him again for the drinks. She maneuvered her hands around the three glasses and carried them carefully back to the table. Maggie and Sasha were engrossed in the display in front of them. Beth thought it was weird that her friends would be so interested in the dancer on stage at a gentleman's club; she looked up and was floored by what she saw.

Before her was a man, facing the back of the stage, clad in tight leather pants with small silver spikes running down the length of each leg, covering chained biker boots; around his waist was a silver studded belt that moved and shimmied with his hips suggestively to the titillating tune. Falling from his broad shoulders, covering his back, was a leather vest with angel wings stitched into the back. The top of his head was wrapped in a black bandana with skull design imprinted on it.

Beth couldn't take her eyes off the display in front of her. The man's hips gyrated to the music, the leather clinging to him just right. He started pivoting around, grinding his pelvis in the air. Her eyes were glued to his pelvis, captivated by the leather-clad bulge. Her eyes roamed up his chiseled abdomen, his strong chest lightly covered in curling hair. His hands were linked behind his head, accentuating the delicious muscles of his upper arms. Beth finally took in the man's face and her jaw dropped. "Oh my god!" was all she could get out.

Dancing in front of her, for all these other women to see, was Daryl.

Daryl heard her voice cut through the music; his eyes snapped toward the source of the sound. Off to his right, sitting at a table with her friends, was Beth, wide-eyed and slack-jawed. He stopped his dancing as he just stared at her, guilt and shame crossing his face. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the club manager motioning for him to keep going. He grit his teeth, hating how much he needed the money. He slowly began moving to the music again, thankful that the song was halfway over anyway.

His heart sank when Beth walked away, rushing toward the exit. That was it. She was gone. He should have told her from the beginning, should have trusted her with his secret, should have...would have...could have. He resigned himself to calling her tomorrow, begging for her to understand, hoping she'd even give him a chance, hear him out. For the moment, he focused directly ahead of him, ignoring the women lining the stage, waving bills at him, hoping for a closer look at him.

All of a sudden he felt a pair of arms wrap around him from behind. He looked at the hands running up and down his chest and saw they were holding hundred dollar bills. He looked over his shoulder at his manager, who was busy counting a wad of bills and turning to walk back stage. Some help he was. He grabbed at the woman's wrists and wrestled them away from his body. She walked in front of him to block him from the other women's view. He'd know that blonde ponytail anywhere.

"Sorry ladies, he's all mine tonight," she yelled over the music. She turned around to face him and slid the bills into his front pocket, a sly grin curling her mouth. "Dance with me," she directed him, and started swaying her hips against his, grabbing the flaps of his vest and pulling him toward her. She looked up at him, raising her eyebrows mischievously and biting her bottom lip, egging him on.

He regarded her for a long second before a smile quirked his lips and he started grinding back against her. They moved together like a scene from Dirty Dancing, and the crowd cheered the couple on. When the song had finally ended, he spun her around, dipped her deeply, supporting her in the cradle of his strong arms, and kissed her, earning more applause from the throng of women. Daryl pulled her back upright, steadied her, grabbed her hand, and pulled her off the stage to the hallway outside the dressing room.

"What the hell you doin' here, Beth?" Daryl demanded. He was glad she hadn't left, but was more than embarrassed that she now knew what his big secret was.

Beth's face fell at his tone. She looked up at him innocently, "I told you it was girls' night. Zombie kinda sucked, we saw the sign out front and decided to try our luck here. You said you were working, I assumed you were bouncing. Why would you lie to me?"

"I didn't lie. I told you I had to work," he lost the edginess to his tone, replacing it with one of regret and shame. "I...I didn't want you to know I...uh...did this, too."

Beth was quiet a moment, thinking through the situation, putting herself in his shoes. She'd probably be equally as embarrassed as he was acting, but she'd like to think she'd be up front with him if their roles were reversed. "Daryl, it's okay. It's quite a surprise, but it's okay." Daryl shook his head and looked at the floor. She put a hand on either side of his face, "Daryl, look at me." She waited until he did as she asked before continuing, "I meant what I said. I love you. I don't care that this is part of your life. Well, I care, but I would never judge you for it. You're...you're really good at this, actually," she said with a blush. "Can I ask you two things?"

Daryl cringed. Here it comes. "Yeah...?"

"Is it rude to ask for my money back? That is half a month's rent sitting in your pocket. I really just didn't want those women pawing over you in front of me."

Daryl chuckled and shook his head, taking the money out of his pants and holding it out to her. "I oughta make you split it with me. What's the second thing?"

Beth grew quiet as she thought her words out carefully. "I know there's a "hands off" rule here." Daryl gave her a surprised look. "Merle warned me at the bar. And I trust you, even with all these women around you. And I get why you don't want to go dancing in public, but...will you dance for me? Just me?" She saw Daryl struggling to answer her. "Not all the time, not after you've...erm...done a show. Just...sometime?" She reached up on her tiptoes to kiss his lips then whispered against them, "I'll make it worth your while," she hinted in a sultry voice.

Daryl wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her up against him. He kissed her again, then pulled back and searched her eyes, "So...you're okay with all this?"

Beth nodded, wrapping her arms around his neck tighter than before. "Daryl, I love you, not what you do. This is just one little part of you. I love the whole thing, every part of you, even the stuff you may not be proud of."

"I love you, too, Beth. More than you'll know."


	2. Hands On

**Hands On – AU – Sequel to Hands Off**

**Ya know what, I'm just not gonna write any more one-shots. At least I'm not going to call them one-shots anymore. Any time I do, I get a ton of people almost begging me to continue them. And then I start thinking...and figuring out ways to continue them. Which is wonderful, but I feel like the world's biggest yutz for saying, "Here's another one-shot...no wait, it's a two-shot...oh hell, let's just make another story, cause why not?" It's gratifying and frustrating all rolled into one.**

**Don't get me wrong, I love all of my followers dearly. It is incredibly humbling to see my babies (my stories) have so many people favoriting and following them – and to have a growing number of people following me as an author – added to that, your glowing reviews make me beyond ecstatic. I've literally teared up after reading some of them, and in a good way. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for your amazing support. **

**Sigh...and now...I present to you the sequel/2****nd**** chapter to Hands Off – Hands On.**

In her wildest dreams, Beth never would have guessed that her big, bad, bouncer boyfriend had been moonlighting as a dancer for Ladies' Night at Atlanta Men's Club. He always kept to himself, only gradually opening up to her about anything even remotely personal. For the week or so after Beth had had her girls' night out with Maggie and Sasha, she had hardly heard from Daryl, save for the occasional text or voice mail. She knew him well enough to know that he just needed his space for a while, and she didn't want to push him. He'd said he loved her, and that was enough. Beth knew he was embarrassed, and would need time to work through his insecurities.

Finally he had called her, asking her to dinner. The restaurant wasn't _Chez Wallette*_ but it was nice. The kind of place where reservations weren't necessary, but you felt special when you made them. Beth had worn a floral sundress with cute strappy sandals; Daryl looked amazing, wearing dress slacks, a long sleeved white button down with the sleeves rolled to his elbows, and a deep blue vest and tie that set off his eyes, making them more striking than even before.

The maître d' seated them at a cozy table in the main room. Off to the side were a piano player and a singer providing live entertainment. Daryl held out her chair as Beth sat down, scooting her chair in for her before taking his own seat. "Daryl, this is so romantic!" Beth whispered excitedly. "What's the occasion?" she asked as she opened her menu.

Daryl looked down, almost ashamedly, pretending to read his own menu. "I...uh...I wanted to apologize."

Beth frowned slightly, shaking her head, "Apologize? For what?"

Daryl took a deep breath in and puffed it out before looking up at her. "For avoiding you all this time. I hated being away from you, but I figured you wanted time to..." he sighed, preparing himself for the worst, "to make sure you still wanted me." He cast his eyes back downward, not able to keep eye contact with her any longer. He had given her an out, and was waiting for her to take it.

Beth calmly folded her menu and set it on the table. She reached across the small table and cupped the back of his hand, stroked her thumb over his then took the menu out of his hands. She slid her hands in both of his and waited until he met her eyes again. "Daryl," she said softly, "I love you. Your dancing is one tiny part of you, it isn't all of you. I would never judge you for it because I know that beyond all that, you are a wonderful, caring man, not just some piece of meat. I'm not going anywhere...unless you don't want me anymore." She felt her hands turn cold at the thought; his hands tightened over hers.

"I think I already knew all that, just needed to hear it. You might have to keep reminding me sometimes," he rubbed his thumbs across the back of her hands.

"Any time you need," she said softly, squeezing his hands. "Just...don't push me away for a week beforehand, okay?" she smiled at him, and was grateful to see him grin back at her.

They reluctantly pulled their hands apart and returned their attention to their menus. The waiter came to take their order and the couple went back to holding hands on top of the table. The piano player started playing a new song which Beth recognized but couldn't place. Daryl tugged at her hand and nodded toward the small dance floor. "C'mon. Dance with me," he murmured as he gently pulled her from her chair. They were in the very center of the dance floor; he took her right hand in his left, holding it over his heart. His right hand rested on her hip, his long fingers wrapping around to reach the small of her back, while her left hand wrapped around his neck, her fingers playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. He pulled her close; Beth could feel herself molding to the hard lines of his body. She rested her head against his chest and he bent his head low to be near to her. They began swaying as the singer began:

_Dancing in the dark, middle of the night_

_Taking your heart and holding it tight_

_Emotional touch, touching my skin_

_And asking you to do what you've been doing all over again_

_Oh, it's a beautiful thing, don't think I can keep it all in_

_I just gotta let you know what it is that won't let me go_

_It's your love, it just does something to me_

_It sends a shock right through me, I can't get enough_

_And if you wonder about the spell I'm under_

_Oh, it's your love._

_Better than I was, more than I am_

_And all of this happened by taking your hand_

_And who I am now is who I wanted to be_

_And now that we're together I'm stronger than ever_

_I'm happy and free._

_Oh, it's a beautiful thing, don't think I can keep it all in_

_And if you asked me why I've changed, all I gotta do is say your sweet name._

_It's your love, it just does something to me_

_It sends a shock right through me, I can't get enough_

_And if you wonder about the spell I'm under_

_Oh, it's your love._

The song ended, and there was a smattering of applause from the other customers seated around the dance floor. Beth blushed and hid her face against Daryl's chest, while he simply nodded and walked them back to their table. He helped Beth into her seat again before returning to his own chair.

The rest of their dinner date went as smoothly as Daryl had hoped, with seemingly unending conversation, delicious entrees, and a shared dessert – a fat slice of peach pie a la mode.

On the drive home, a question that had been bothering Daryl sprang to the forefront of his mind and wouldn't be ignored. "Beth, can I ask you something...about...that night?"

"Of course."

"Why'd you leave at first? And what made you come back?"

Beth looked at him confusedly. "Why'd I leave? I never left."

Daryl nodded at her, "I saw you. You were headed right for the exit."

Beth was quiet another minute, retracing her steps. "Daryl, I didn't...OH! Oh, I didn't leave," she giggled, "I had to stop by the ATM. You think I carry cash like that on me all the time?"

Daryl looked over at her incredulously, then let out a loud laugh. The sound of him so happy, almost relieved, and the look on his face had Beth's heart doing flip flops in her ribcage. When he had found composure she asked, "Can I ask _you_ a question about that night?"

Daryl cringed a little and tightened his grip on the steering wheel. "Do I have to answer?"

Beth thought for a moment, "No...but I'd like it if you did."

"Alright," Daryl sighed, "let's hear it."

"Why the vest?"

Daryl looked at her, the returned his eyes to the road. "What do you mean? It's part of my costume."

Beth nodded, "Yeah, I figured that part out," she said sarcastically. "But...well, when I've seen...places like that...in the movies or whatever, the guys usually have a shirt or a jacket and sometimes a vest...but they always...end up taking it off. You left yours on. Why? We could see everything anyway."

"Not everything," Daryl mumbled.

Beth got quiet and thought. That night, his vest had been wide open, leaving nothing to the imagination as far as his chest and abs and his glorious arms. What did the vest cover...? "Your back?" she guessed. She saw Daryl's jaw clench tightly. "What's wrong with your back?"

Daryl sighed heavily again. "Let's just say I didn't have the best childhood, and that I've got a lot of reminders back there to prove it."

Beth laid a gentle hand on his arm. "Will you tell me about it?" she asked softly.

They rode in silence for several minutes. Beth figured she had gotten her answer when Daryl didn't say anything. Suddenly, he spoke up, his voice low and gravelly, as if digging up memories from somewhere deep. "My dad was an abusive asshole. When the mood struck him, which was pretty often, he'd beat the hell out of me, courtesy of his belt. Beat me till I bled, beat me more if I cried, then left me there to find his next fix or his next bottle."

"Oh...Daryl...I..." Beth began before he cut her off.

"I don't need your pity, alright," he barked at her.

Beth shook her head, "Daryl, no. I know you don't. I just...I wish I could have been there to take care of you. What about your mom? Or Merle?"

"Mom died when I was little. Passed out with a cigarette in her mouth and burnt our whole damn house down. Merle lit out as soon as he could, left me with dear ol' dad. I finally got out when I was 16. Ain't needed anyone to take care of me, either. I never depended on anyone for anything." The words tumbled out of his mouth quickly; much like you would rip off a Band-Aid so it wouldn't hurt as much, even though it still hurt like hell to do so anyway.

Beth rubbed her thumb along his arm, thinking over everything Daryl had just told her. She knew it wasn't easy for him to open up about anything; the fact that he'd just bared his soul to her, his terrible past, made her heart melt for him. "Thank you for telling me. I know that was hard." Daryl only shrugged in response. "It's all in the past though, Daryl. That's part of you, but it's not who you are. You got out, you changed, and became a wonderful man. A man I am head over heels in love with." She caught sight of the corner of his lips curling into a small smile. He reached out and held her hand, lacing his fingers between hers. They sat in silence, enjoying each other's company the rest of the ride home.

All too soon, they arrived at her apartment; Daryl walked her to her front door, hand in hand. She asked if he wanted to come inside. She could see a war raging through his mind before he declined. "I don't think that's a good idea. It's not that I don't want to, cause I really do. I just...I don't want to rush this. I ain't been in many relationships, 'specially any that've lasted this long. I don't wanna fu...mess this up. I'll call you tomorrow?"

She giggled a little. Was he asking permission to call her? "I'd really like that. Thank you for tonight, Daryl. It was wonderful. Every second of it." She reached up on her tip toes to press her lips to his. Their kiss turned into something truly passionate, each of them pouring all their emotions into this one kiss. It seemed to stretch on for minutes, hours. She could easily lose herself in this man's arms, under his lips, against his body. When they finally separated, she was breathless and weak-kneed, and absolutely full of smiles. She shakily unlocked then opened her door and stepped inside. They kissed once more before bidding each other goodnight.

A few months passed as their relationship had gotten more and more serious. Daryl still insisted on taking things almost painfully slow. It seemed to Beth that despite working at a strip club, he was really quite shy and reserved when it came to anything physical. Any time they had been making out and would get close to crossing that line, he would be the one to put on the brakes, usually right about the time she tried to pull his shirt off. It was frustrating as all hell, but Beth loved him all the more for it, knowing the reasons behind his actions, and tried her best to be understanding and supportive, to relieve his insecurities. She felt absolutely no pressure from him, and she wouldn't push him any further than he wanted to go. She knew they loved each other very much, and would eventually come to that point when they were both ready for it.

Beth had been dropping hints about her birthday coming up all month. Daryl had promised her he had it all planned out and wouldn't give her any more hint than that. No matter how crafty Beth thought her questions were, how incessantly she asked, he remained extremely tight lipped about the whole thing. The only clue she got out of him was that it wouldn't be on her actual birthday; he knew her family always took her out on the day, and he wasn't about to be the one to mess up that tradition.

The Saturday before her birthday, Daryl had called, checking for the millionth time that she didn't have any plans with her friends that night, and told her he was going to stop by the gym before coming to her apartment for her big birthday surprise.

When he finally arrived, dressed in his usual faded jeans and black t-shirt, he had his duffle bag hanging off one shoulder, and his arms filled with grocery bags. Apparently, step one of her birthday night was that he was going to cook dinner for her. He opened a bottle of wine and poured her a glass, then set to work preparing her birthday meal.

She giggled at the sounds coming from her kitchen; pots and pans clanging as Daryl rifled through her cabinets, muttered curse words when he apparently grabbed something hot, and rattling dishes as he plated the food. He brought the plates out to the kitchen table and invited her to join him, holding her chair out for her as he had done at the restaurant. Daryl had made spaghetti with meatballs, Caesar salad, and warm garlic bread. Beth wanted to make a comment about them being like Lady and the Tramp, but didn't want him to take it the wrong way, so she bit her tongue and smiled warmly at him.

He looked proud of himself as he refilled their wine glasses. He mentioned something about forgetting one last thing before getting up from the table. Beth looked around and couldn't find anything missing from what was set in front of her – he had even lit two taper candles and placed them in the center of the small dining room table; then she heard soft music playing. She smiled as she realized he had brought his iPod and had set up a playlist of dinner music, complete with Norah Jones, Frank Sinatra, and of course, Dean Martin.

They dined and sipped at their wine, Beth complimenting him on his cooking skills, which he naturally shrugged off. "'S just spaghetti," he mumbled. Beth rolled her eyes, knowing any compliment she offered him would be given the same treatment. She kept trying to keep conversation going, but he was quiet...quiet for even Daryl. Something was on his mind, but she couldn't figure out what it was. He didn't seem to be in a bad mood; she couldn't help but wonder what was up. He almost seemed...nervous?

Once dinner was over, he cleared the table and returned with a single cupcake, topped with a mound of sugary icing, with a birthday candle in the middle. He placed the dessert in front of her and sang "Happy Birthday" to her softly. She closed her eyes to make her wish and blew out the candle. Daryl presented two forks and handed one to Beth. He stabbed into the cupcake and brought his fork to her mouth. She smiled before opening her mouth, letting him feed her. She scooped a bite onto her own fork and went to feed him in return, psyching him out at the last minute and eating the bite herself. She laughed at the face he made, half angry, half amused, then scooped another bite and offered it to him. He regarded her with narrowed eyes for a brief moment first, then opened his mouth and accepted it.

They took turns feeding each other until the cupcake was gone. Daryl served the last bite, most of it nothing more than a pile of icing. Even though Beth had opened her mouth extra wide to get around everything, a dot of icing still ended up on the corner of her lips. Daryl set his fork down on the table and leaned over, taking her chin between his fingers and thumb, kissing and licking at the icing, then moving his lips over hers, sealing his mouth over hers. He licked at her sugary lips and she opened eagerly to him, wanting to taste him as well.

Daryl brought his hands up to frame her face, resting his thumbs along her cheekbones and letting his fingers trail down her neck. He pulled her closer, letting his fingertips thread through her hair. Beth slid her hands over his wrists, arms, shoulders, before meeting behind his neck, holding him close to her. She lightly moaned in disappointment when Daryl dragged himself away, his fingers tracing along her arms, pulling her hands to hold them between them. "Before we get going too far," he murmured, "I've got one more surprise for you. I'm gonna do up dishes for you real quick and get everything ready. Just...sit tight, okay?" He filled her wine glass before heading to back to the kitchen.

Beth readjusted in her chair, excited to finally know what all Daryl had planned. She heard Daryl moving around in the kitchen behind her and waited as patiently as she could, her curiosity starting to get the better of her. She noticed the soft dinner music had stopped, but figured the playlist had just come to an end and didn't think anything else of it.

Suddenly the shrill sound of a loud electric guitar filled the room; Beth recognized it as a rock version of Lollipop. She found it had an edgier sound, and thought it was way sexier than the hip-hop version.

Beth felt Daryl's rough hand from behind her, dragging his fingertips from her shoulder, down her arm, holding her hand gently. He stood before her, dressed in his leather pants and vest, his studded belt glinting in the candle light. He started moving his hips to the beat as the lyrics began.

Beth blushed and giggled nervously when she realized what her real present was – here Daryl was, putting himself out there, just for her. She didn't dare take her eyes off him. Her heart was already racing; she could feel her face growing warm, along with the spot between her thighs.

He grinned down at her sexily, leaning back slightly, pushing his pelvis closer to her, swiveling his hips to the music. He still stood at arm's length from her; he rolled his hips, turning himself in a slow circle. Once he was facing her again, he dropped to his knees, arching his back in one smooth motion, his legs spread wide, his pelvis almost touching the floor. His face was between her knees; he slithered his way over her body, pushing and lifting himself up onto her chair with his arms, surrounding her, covering her with his body. She could feel his warm breath ghosting over her through her clothes, only adding to her already rising temperature. When he reached her neck, he attached his mouth to her, teasing her, tempting her, letting his teeth rake against her sensitive flesh. He stood up, leaving her wanting more, and ran his hands up and down his body. He moved forward until he was straddling her lap and reached down to take her hands and bring them to rest on his hips. Beth was about to ask about the 'hands off' rule, but the look in Daryl's eyes said the rule was most definitely not in play tonight.

Daryl kept his hands on her wrists and guided her hands up and over his stomach, up to his chest, allowing her to part the front panels of his vest. He rolled his body, arching his back as he released her hands, allowing her to explore the muscles rippling beneath his warm skin; his hands met behind his neck, flexing his arm muscles. He leaned over her, bracing his arms on either side of her on the back of her chair, then started grinding his hips toward her; she ran her hands through his coarse chest hair, teasing his nipples, then trailed her fingers along his delicious abs. Beth let her head fall back as he leaned close to her. He bent his head to kiss her, to lick along the column of her neck, nipping and sucking at her tender flesh.

He pulled back, taking her hands in his again, and brought them to his belt buckle. She grinned naughtily as she set to work undoing the buckle. He held her hands on the buckle as he started to back away; Beth took the hint, holding on to the belt, effectively removing it. He came back to straddling her lap and ran his hands over his chest and stomach, rolling his body toward her, then tucked his thumbs into his pants and popped open the button. Daryl pulled her hands to his body again, directing them around his waist, over his hips to cup his ass as he ground closer to her. He lowered himself so he was almost sitting on her lap, never breaking eye contact, always moving his hips against her. He kissed her fiercely, still grinding against her, then pulled back from her, always teasing her senses. He kept her hands on him, letting them follow along his waist, steering them toward the zipper of his leather pants.

She looked up at him with wide eyes and licked her lips slowly as her fingers worked to unzip his fly. When she pressed a kiss to his stomach, he gently placed his hand on the back of her head, holding her still as he danced against her. Beth's lips parted, her tongue licking and teasing the skin around his navel. Daryl lowered himself to kneel on the floor, causing her tongue to trail all the way up his torso before darting into his mouth for a searing kiss. She worked her hands under the leather vest, pushing the garment over his shoulders; Daryl let it fall to the floor, exposing his back, though still not letting her see the mess of scars he was hiding. He pulled away and kissed a path down her jaw, her neck, her collar bone. Although she was still fully clothed, he kissed over her breasts and continued down until he was kissing her lower stomach. He reached down and pulled her legs so they were wrapped around his hips. He held onto the back of the chair, raising himself to meet her, and thrust against her, then slid his hands down her arms and wrapped them around his neck. He kissed her again as he ground into her again. "Don't let go," he instructed, and easily picked her up in his arms.

Daryl kept his hands on her ass, supporting her weight with his arms and with her legs wrapped around him. He pushed his hips up to meet hers, bouncing her on his pelvis as he carried her into the living room and onto the couch and laid her down gently. Beth had never felt more wanton, more sexy, more alive, than when she was in his arms, pressed against him as she was now. He lowered himself onto her, grinding against her again, letting some of his weight sink them both into the soft cushions of her couch. He wrapped his arms around her, one resting behind her shoulders, the other, her lower back. He kissed her deeply, tasting the sweetness of her mouth.

"Are you...are you okay?" Daryl asked, a little breathless. Beth looked up at him and understood the meaning of his words. He was giving her an out; they had never gone this far physically, not even close. Beth only nodded her head and pulled him down for another kiss, letting her hands slide over his shoulders, playing with the hair at the nape of his neck, before trailing over the skin stretched over his shoulder blades. She felt him tense up at the contact, but she held him fast.

"Daryl, it's okay. It's just me and you. I just want to feel you, all of you, against me. Please," she asked him, "please don't pull away now."

Daryl had closed his eyes, fighting the urge to shove himself off her. Instead, he slowly opened his eyes and focused on her, on her goodness, the look of longing on her face, on how good she felt beneath him, with her legs wrapped around him. He'd be a damn fool if he left her now; he'd never be worthy to be anywhere near her if he stopped all this now. "You sure?"

Beth tightened her legs around him, grinding herself against him this time. "I am most definitely sure. Please, Daryl. I need you. I want you, more than I've ever wanted anything."

Daryl blinked slowly, before moving his hands to either side of her waist. His fingers and lips felt like they were trailing fire against her skin as he moved from the waistband of her jeans upward, removing her shirt as he explored her body with his mouth, kissing over her flat stomach, fingers teasing along her rib cage, licking between her breasts. He pulled her shirt over her head, exposing her fully to him; only her lacy white bra concealing her ample breasts from him. He reached behind her and quickly unclasped her bra, then did away with the hindering garment. Daryl paused a moment to take in the sight of her, and Beth was surprised at how comfortable she felt with his eyes roaming over her.

Daryl lowered himself onto her, running his open mouth over her creamy skin, nipping at her here and there as he traced over her neck, her collarbone, into the valley between her breasts. His hand came up to cup her breast, massaging her, then took her nipple between his thumb and forefinger and lightly pinched it, teasing it into a stiff peak. She gasped sharply at the sensation.

It had been so long since she had been touched like this, and realized she had never had anyone who made her feel like this, so womanly and alive. She'd had sex once before, a fumbling experience with her ex-boyfriend Jimmy, but there was no comparison to what she was feeling now. The things Daryl was doing with his body, his hands, his mouth had her feeling heady and exhilarated; it felt completely natural, while at the same time reckless.

She was brought back from her thoughts by Daryl's tongue making his way down her abdomen, teasing around her belly button then dragging back up to wrap his lips around her already taut nipple, sucking her into his mouth with relentless pressure, causing her to cry out. His head snapped up, checking her, making sure she was still okay. She threaded her fingers through the hair on the back of his head and brought him up for a vigorous kiss, then breathed against his lips, "It's okay. Please...please don't stop." He smiled against her and attached himself again to her breast, pulling her nipple between his lips, tantalizing her, using his teeth and tongue, eliciting a soft groan from her sweet mouth. He repeated his technique on her other breast, not stopping until she was moaning deliciously beneath him.

Beth felt him kiss his way back up her chest, teasing the pulse point on her neck. Instead of kissing her again, he made his way to her ear, sucking and gently biting on her ear lobe before murmuring wickedly, "God, I want you so bad," as he thrust his hips against her. She could feel his hardness against her thigh, sending sparks of electricity shooting through her system. She could only moan in response, then pushed her hips against his, pulling her knees higher, allowing him to sink further into the cradle of her hips. She pushed against him again, silently telling him she wanted this, too, wanted him, just as much as he wanted her.

Her hands came up to his chest, relishing in the feel of him beneath her fingers, and pushed gently against him. He followed her tender, silent instruction and rested back on his haunches. She sat up with him, kissing along his chest, pausing to flick her tongue against his nipples. She ran her hands all over him, delighting in the feel of his hard muscles. She ventured around his rib cage, skating along his sides. She wanted to wrap her arms around him, to pull him close, but knew reaching around his back would only bring out his insecurities and kill the mood. Instead, her fingers traveled lower, toward his hips, curling under the waistband of his leather pants and underwear. Then Beth looked up at him from under her eyelashes. Daryl kissed her before getting off the couch; she instantly felt the loss of his body heat against her.

Beth watched as Daryl stripped the rest of his clothes off his body. Fighting any shyness threatening to stop her, she reached out and wrapped her fingers around him, bringing him closer to her. She dipped her head slowly, opening her mouth and tasting the head of his cock. She smiled inwardly as she heard his sharp intake of air, hissing at the sensations she was causing in him. She pulled back and looked up at him, waiting until he met her gaze before lapping at him with her tongue again. The look that crossed his face sent chills down her spine; it was a look of pure lust, almost animalistic, primal.

He pushed on her shoulders, pressing her back into the couch, and unbuttoned her pants. She raised her hips, urging him on, as he unzipped her fly and eased her pants and panties over her legs and tossed them to the floor. He knelt between her legs and brought his hand to play along her stomach, drifting lower...lower. She gasped loudly as he slid one finger between her silken folds and played against her clit. She felt a rush of heat at the sudden pressure between her legs, a soft "oh," escaping her lips as she whimpered for more. He circled her clit, tracing sinful patterns against the sensitive nub then slid his finger lower. He inserted his finger into her pussy, already dripping wet with want for him. He added a second finger, filling her, readying her. Beth ground her hips against his hand, bucking when his thumb grazed over her clit and his fingers curled to find her g-spot. The sensations coursing through her were incredible, but not enough to satisfy her. She gripped his arms in desperation and pleaded, "Daryl...please...God, please."

He withdrew his hand and positioned himself between her legs, against her sex. His eyes met hers again, wordlessly asking one last time for permission. Her hand shot out and wrapped around his neck, pulling him in for a hard kiss. He took her cue and slid into her, making them both groan as he filled her, burying himself to the hilt. She felt herself stretching to accommodate him, experiencing a slight burn as she yielded to his size. Any pain she felt soon gave way to intense pleasure as he started moving within her, rocking her body with his. He held tightly to her hip with one hand, surely leaving bruises, but she found she didn't care in the least. His other arm rested alongside her head, curling under her neck, bringing them intimately close. She moaned at the wonders his body was causing.

Every thrust sent tingles through her body as he filled her over and over again. He pushed her further up the couch, toward the arm rest, until she was partially curled against it. Her neck was curved awkwardly, but the new angle at which he was driving into her produced such wild sensations, bringing her closer to the edge, she found she didn't care about the discomfort. He reached above her and held on to the arm rest, giving him more leverage, allowing him to plunge deeper into her. She tightened her legs around her waist as she felt herself spiral out of control. Her moans turned into grunts as he drove into her, until she found her release and let out a loud, long cry, her voice rising in pitch as it went on. Her fingers dug into the flesh of his shoulders as he continued pounding into her, letting her ride out her orgasm, which seemed to never end. He pulled out of her. A second later she felt his hot, sticky cum splash against her belly.

She fought to catch her breath, panting hard as a breathy, "Oh my god...oh my god..." became her mantra. She pulled him down for a passionate kiss, pouring her heart and all of her love for him into it. She was still breathless when she ended the kiss, and whispered out, "I love you...I love you so much."

Daryl smiled and softly chuckled. "I love you too, Beth. Happy Birthday."

*******_Chez Wallete_**** is not a real restaurant. It's just my little phrase for a super expensive restaurant.**

**The song they danced to was "It's Your Love," written by Stephony Smith, produced by Byron Gallimore & James Stroud, performed by Tim McGraw and Faith Hill.**

**Daryl danced to "Lollipop" by Framing Hanley. I know Lil Wayne did it first, but there's something about the rock version that is just...yummy. Go ahead and YouTube it or something. You'll see.**

**Please forgive me for the lap dance. I've never experienced one first hand, so I was going off, shall we say, research on YouTube. **

**Whew! Hope you enjoyed it. Review and let me know what you thought!**


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